the daily snivel

The CBC has unfurled The Great Canadian Wish List contest, which is an attempt to have the Canadian public speak up on the issues that are most important to them. The "wishes" are set up as pseudo-groups on Facebook, and Facebook users can add their support to the wishes that resonate with them. The list of the most popular wishes will be nationally profiled on July 1, 2007.

One wish that quickly gained momentum was "Abolish Abortion in Canada" and it has since moved to the number one ranking. In response, the group "I wish Canada would remain pro-choice" was created, and it is closing the gap now in a close second place. At present, there are 4983 anti-choice supporters to 4633 pro-choice supporters.

I was alerted to this group by a good friend, and it strikes a powerful chord in me. While the debate over abortion's legality in Canada may (or may not be) largely behind us, there is never room for complacency. When the majority are silent about their rights and ideals, the squeaky minority may take the opportunity to project itself out over that silence.

Accordingly, I would invite all Canadians with Facebook accounts (and those who have been putting off signing up) to consider adding their support for this group, so as to let it be known that choice is a fundamental value of the majority.